Paper Hearts
by Rexa13
Summary: When Jack chose to marry Celia he broke Muffy and Nami's hearts. Now the girls spend their winter trying to get over the man they both love. HM: AWL
1. Muffy: Skipping Rocks

Rexa13: So its been a while since I've written anything but reading stuff that other people write has caused me to start writing more. I've had this fic floating around in my head for at least half a year now. Its about time I get it down.

Disclaimer: I don't own a single thing.

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I had been sitting in a dark room for five days now. Every passing minute felt like an hour. The days seemed to stretch out into months. It's only Winter fifth.

Jack had made his choice on fall tenth. That's when I said I wanted an answer apparently Nami said the same. His choice wasn't the tomboyish redhead or myself. Instead Jack chose the young farm girl Celia.

Even though I was plunged deep in heartache I found his choice rather funny. Celia was so young and she wasn't very pretty, but that wasn't the funniest part, she too is a farmer. Celia will either be helping Jack on his farm, or she'll be going back and helping Vesta on her farm. He basically married a rival.

I had pictured my life with Jack so many times over the last three seasons. Each fantasy showed a happy ending like in a storybook or a show on television. Everything worked together in perfect harmony.

But now I was sitting alone in a neat dark room. I had vases full of flowers from Jack. I even had a few crystals he had dug up in at the dig site. I still treasure these glorious gifts of love, but now they haunt me every time I look at them.

I always have my diary in my lap now. I made sure I took it out of the main room of the bar after I was crushed. I was going to rip out the pages of all the wonderful times I had spent with Jack. Then I sat down and read every page and looked at the front cover and looked at the four red hearts, a symbol of my love. Tearstains cover every page of the diary.

I decided not to rid of my memories of Jack. Why should I delete a year of my life, even if it was one that ended in misery? It was an amazing year full of love. Besides this diary still has more room to write in and Jack will most likely be in future entries. But that will have to wait until spring; I'm not in the mood to write.

I hug my diary close to me and let out a few more tears. My eyes are sore from crying so much. I refuse to look in the mirror of my vanity table, I don't want to see my puffy red eyes, my messed up hair, or my makeup-less face. I don't want to see something that I would find so repulsive.

One of the worst things about this is I haven't seen the sun in five days. I don't think I will, it is winter after all. It's most likely snowing outside. I won't even get to see the snow this year.

I remember one time when I was a kid my best friend got her heart crushed by her boyfriend. She acted as if nothing ever happened. When I asked her how she seemed so cheerful she smiled at me and said, "trust me Muffy this whole heartbreak thing is the most painful thing ever, but I'm gonna move on with my life so I'm starting now."

I have the urge to follow what my friend did. Just get up and go on with life. Then another part of me is asking, "How can I?"

I'm not as strong as she was or as smart. I don't even know how I thought of something that happened so long ago. But I know I must move on. It'll take time, so much time, but I'm going to start trying now.

I throw my diary onto my bed and run to my window and pull back the curtains. It isn't snowing, but there is a lot of snow on the ground. I look at the sky it's really cloudy but I see a small beam of sunlight trying to break through.

I feel more tears coming on but I fight them back as best as I can. A few tears spill over and I wipe them away quickly. I head over to my vanity table and sit on the fluffy cushioned chair in front on it.

I was right about my appearance, but I can work with it easily. I do what is needed to fix myself up. I bathe quickly and thoroughly, dry my hair, curl my hair, and do my makeup. Then I get warm clothes that are still stylish and good at showing off my figure.

I looked in the mirror one last time and smiled at my reflection. I am Muffy once again, the beautiful barmaid.

As I enter the main room of the bar I refuse to look where my diary had been, instead I look at the usual customers. When they look at me with surprise I flash them a smile and they seem happier.

"Hello Griffin," I say looking at the owner of the bar.

"Muffy," he says smiling handing a drink to Patrick.

I start doing my normal tasks in the bar and talking to customers. Even though I'm feeling so much pain inside I keep on smiling, laughing, and talking. Part of me wants to run back into my room and cry some more, another part of me feels a tiny bit better that I'm getting away from thoughts about Jack.

"Muffy it's 9"30, go on a break," Griffin says clapping a hand on my shoulder. "I'm proud of you," Griffin whispers to where I'm the only one who can hear him.

"Thank you," I say. I'm very tempted to go back to my room and be alone for a while but I force myself to go outside for a walk.

It's cold outside and I'm happy I wore warmer clothes. I stop at the river that separates Vestas' farm and the dig site from the rest of the town.

I'm alone here and I sigh in relief and sadness. It feels great to be alone again. Now I can relax for a short while, I have nothing to worry about. I don't have to try to impress people with how I'm getting over Jack. I can be free out here at night.

I hear a little splash and jump. It couldn't have been a fish; I would have seen it swim by. I look around and finally see a dark figure. I walk towards it and I begin to see his form. He picks up a rock and throws it into the water.

When I finally reach where he is standing I see that it is Marlin. I'm surprised to see him here at the river so late at night. Marlin looks at me and gets another rock and throws it again.

"Dammit," he mutters under his breath. I can tell he's angry.

"What are you trying to do?" I ask him.

"Never mind it isn't working," Marlin says quickly.

"No tell me," I say wanting to know.

"I'm trying to skip rocks," he admits, "but it's not working."

"Use you wrist more," I say. I pick up a rock and skip it, it skips four times before falling in the water.

Marlin looks at me and then he tries again. The rock skips three times and he smiles a little.

He looks at me again. "Why are you out here so late?" Marlin asks.

"Griffin gave me a break from working," I say simply looking at the river.

"I've heard you were locked in your room for five days," he says.

I still feel his eyes on me as I sigh. "I have been, but I'm not going to sit around anymore."

"Good Marlin says taking his eyes off me. "It isn't good to run away from your problems."

We are quiet for a moment. We both skip a rock.

"At least you haven't had to see Jack everyday like I have had to see Celia," Marlin says. "She doesn't leave to his farm for another five days."

"I'm sorry," I say shocked that someone else is feeling how I do. "So you love Celia?" I ask.

"I've loved her since she came to Vesta's farm," Marlin says. I look at him and he is looking at the ground.

"I see," I say. "I think I have to go back to work now."  
"Come back here tomorrow and skip rocks with me again," Marlin says.

"I will."

--

Rexa13: Well that's it for this chapter. Please R&R ^_^


	2. Nami: Familiar Tune

Rexa13: Ok so I don't normally update so quickly but I need to get this fic done so I can start another one that I'm planning. Please R&R.

Disclaimer: I only own my thoughts.

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Getting away from the little valley was the best thing to do, at least for me. I have always been a traveler never staying in one place for very long. It's like wherever I go I have a clean slate. I'm always refreshed. I'm always a mystery.

I'm happy I had my hobby. It was so much better than staying in Forget Me Not Valley forever. I could get away from everything, though I went back there at night. It had been a goal to stay in one place for a whole year.

When I was in the valley I tended to stay in my room. I kept the curtains open usually, unless it felt too hard. I felt like I needed to see the flowers and artifacts sometimes, to know the past three seasons weren't a dream. Yet every time I saw the gifts it hurt me. It also hurt when I went to write in my diary. Right when you opened the book there was a little spot with four red hearts, a symbol of my love.

Maybe Muffy feels the same way I do. Maybe she feels all alone and lost. Something inside me feels like the winter was hard for the both of us.

Perhaps this heartache is our punishment. We were pushing Jack to make a choice about who he wanted to be with. It was only Muffy and I who were trying to get the answer. Celia waited patiently.

Is that why he chose her? Did he just want someone who wasn't going to be pushing him so much? Someone who was always quiet and polite like Celia. Maybe its because she's pretty. Maybe Celia is just a perfect little lady. They got along great.

Dammit I'm letting my mind wander again. I don't want to think about it. That's why I leave town so early in the day and come back so late. I just want to get away from everything. I knew I shouldn't have stopped in this damn valley for a year.

I hear a knock at my door and thank the goddess that it happened. I can finally get away from all these terrible thoughts and annoying emotions.

I get up and open the door. I look at Ruby who is smiling at me.

"Um Nami I was just wondering if you wanted to go outside," Ruby said in her soft motherly voice.

"Why?" I ask sounding meaner than I intended.

Ruby frowns and I curse silently to myself.

"Well it's snowing outside," Ruby said. I looked at her silently for a moment. "Well it's just you've always been gone to the next town and I thought you might want to enjoy the valley in the winter. It's also snowing again."

I thought for a second. "What the hell," I said shrugging. "I might be able to get a good sketch from it"

Ruby smiled. I could tell she was happy to get me to do something except go off to town. She wanted me to be happy, and stay in the valley. I can tell that my fake optimism was something that made her more cheerful, which in an odd way affected me and made me the tiniest bit more cheerful.

I left the inn a few minutes later. I had to change into warmer clothing and get drawing items before heading outside. The valley looked beautiful as tons of snow fell.

I started to walk around and noticed that the ground didn't have a very thick layer of snow already on it from previous days of snowing. My footsteps easily moved the snow slightly revealing hints of dirt and grass.

It was easy to tell that no one but myself had been in the snow today. My footprints seemed to be the only ones that I had seen anyways. I started to really look for footprints hoping to see someone, anyone, before my mind went back to Jack.

I saw a long curvy set of footprints looking off to see Murry walking around mumbling to himself about his homeland. I looked again and saw another pair leading over Turtle Swamp. I decided to see who it was just for the heck of it; it would be a nice little walk.

As I got closer I heard humming and the sounds of a guitar and I instantly knew it was Gustafa. I sighed in relief. Gustafa was a friend of mine, pretty much my only one in the valley.

I walked over to Gustafa with a blank expression. I listened to the song that he was playing. When it was over he looked up at me and smiled.

"Hey it's been a few days," Gustafa said.

"Ya I've been in the town a lot," I said sitting next to him. "It's nice to get away y'know?"

"I like it here," Gustafa said looking at me, "when I'm not in a good mood I just play some music."

"So are you always upset?" I asked half jokingly.

"Nah I always play music," Gustafa said chuckling a bit, "music is a great escape from everyday life."

"That's how I feel about traveling," I said, "drawing sometimes helps too."

We were silent for a moment. We watched snowfall onto the pond and ground. The small snowflakes also fell on the amorous flowers that had grown over the days that I was inside.

"I've seen it snow in so many places but I think it looks prettiest here," I said picking up a bit of the snow.

"Ya its great here. I moved here in the middle of winter when it was snowing. I stayed at the inn until spring and then I built my yurt," Gustafa said.

"I think I'll come back next winter," I said looking at my friend.

"Maybe you shouldn't leave at all," Gustafa said.

"I have to," I said.

"Why?"  
"If I don't I'll go crazy. I can't stay in one place for long," I looked away and sighed.

"I bet Jack has something to do with it too." Gustafa said.

"It'll be nice getting away from him, but he isn't the whole reason. I'm a traveler, its how I've always been," I said looking at Gustafa at the corner of my eye.

"The valley wouldn't be the same without you," Gustafa said.

"I've only been here a year no one will miss me after a while," I said shaking my head. "That's how it always works."

"That's not true," Gustafa said. "You're like a daughter to Tim and Ruby. Villagers love your drawings. I'd really miss you."

I was silent as I thought of what Gustafa had said. Tim and Ruby were like parents to me, more than any other hotel owner. These villagers did seem to really enjoy my art, I had given countless pieces away as gifts. Then there was Gustafa. I had been with him when I hadn't been with Jack. We had been hanging out together so much; he was the best friend I ever had. He inspired a lot of my drawings, and he said I inspired a lot of his music. We were so comfortable around each other.

It had taken me until my heart was broken to realize that I loved Gustafa. Now that my heart was in an emotional turmoil I found that I was emotionally unavailable. I couldn't be with Gustafa yet. This brought up another reason for me to leave.

"I'd miss you too," I said suddenly startling myself a little. I wasn't much of one to talk about how I feel. "But I feel like I need to get my head sorted out. I need to go."

"When would you leave?" Gustafa asked a little disappointed.

"The first of spring," I said realizing how fast that could come.

"That's in three days," he said.

"So lets make the best of it," I said.

We spent the next hour and a half at that spot. Gustafa played his guitar and hummed along to the melody that I was accustomed to hearing. I sketched an amorous flower that had a bit of snow on it, around it, and falling down from the sky.

Gustafa and I planned to hang out for my last couple days. We would have time to work on our friendship that was going to blossom into a relationship hopefully. Time wouldn't change us too much I hoped. I had loved once and been knocked down. Now that I realized that I loved again I didn't want to lose this one too.

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Rexa13: That's it for Nami. I feel I didn't capture her right but I tried my hardest. Please tell me what you think. Reviews are the best. ^^


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